


one look in your eyes and i found my favourite colour

by simonsjumpers



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Anne's hair is red and Gilbert has strong feelings about that, Black and White soulmate AU, F/M, Gilbert's eyes are hazel and Anne has strong feelings about it, Pining, Shirbert, Slow Burn, Soulmates, a lot of pining, colour soulmate au, dance scene, falling in love while dancing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2020-12-31 18:24:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21150182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simonsjumpers/pseuds/simonsjumpers
Summary: au where everyone can only see in black and white until a moment between them and their soulmate triggers colour gradually appearing into both of their worlds(and yes, it happens during dance practice)--"And with that, Gilbert reached across and took Anne’s hand in his and twirled her over to his side of the line. To anyone else, a simple mistake, but to them a very deliberate choice. They shared a look at their joined hands and to each other.As she was looking at him… really looking at him… and she noticed something. It was unmistakable. Gilbert’s eyes were hazel. Not black or white, or any shade in-between, but hazel.Huh, she thought. The more she looked, the more the colour grew. And then…Oh, she thought, oh no."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> that dance scene man, sent me feral, have not stopped thinking about it since
> 
> everyone was so kind on my nice awae fic so now I'm writing a series
> 
> <3
> 
> come talk about Avonlea on tumblr @homerically

_au where _ _everyone can only see in black and white until a moment between them and their soulmate triggers colour gradually appearing into both of their worlds_

* * *

Anne was told from a young age that she would _never_ have a soulmate and that she would _never_ see colour. 

_“Sickly little girls like you never see no colour. You ain’t made for anyone to love,”_ one of the orphanage matrons had spat at her.

She hadn’t understood it at the time – the idea of colour. She’d turned to books – romance novels filled with stories of brilliant young ladies who started to see colour after a special moment between them and a chivalrous gentleman. Colour was, as best as Anne could understand from books, seeing the world in the best possible way.

Anne had heard of rich blues, deep greens, soft yellows and bold reds, but she’d never experienced them for herself. And she’d need a_ soulmate_ for that.

Moving to Green Gables had given her hope. She’d come to learn the world was good and full of love and that maybe it was possible that girls like her could begin to see colour and that perhaps she was made to love... and be loved.

Matthew and Marilla saw colour, and while it hadn’t worked out with their soulmates, their world was richer for it. Anne was desperate for a rich and full world.

Anne would sometimes sit by the black and white flowers outside and will them to explode into colour. It never happened though. She had grown accustomed to her black and white world and was quite happy to wait.

Turns out she didn’t have to wait that long after her sixteenth birthday.

Anne’s black and white world was disrupted the day that Miss Stacey asked the boys to push the desks to the side of the room to make space for dance practice.

Anne stuck closely to Diana’s side, they were both shepherded by Miss Stacey to the other side of the room. She had hoped to avoid Charlie Sloane, especially today, but he had ended up by her side again; his hand outstretched and overly keen to take hers. With a forced a polite smile, she placed her hand in his with the lightest pressure and least contact possible.

Across from her, Gilbert raised an eyebrow. _Great, even better_, Anne thought.

She had formed her own opinion of Charlie long ago, and the idea of a courtship between them was _definitely_ something far off from Anne’s ideas about her future, but Gilbert’s impression of the whole thing had affected her more than she liked to admit to herself.

Anne had come to realise recently that Gilbert Blythe’s opinions and judgements _mattered_ to her. Often she would find herself looking to Gilbert for confirmation or just to see what he was thinking.

Anne had thought that their positions as co-editors of the school’s newspaper had forged this silent way of communicating – someone would read an article, Anne would look to Gilbert and he to her, and they would be able to tell if they both were happy to approve it just by expression alone.

It had begun in other ways too. Anne found herself looking to Gilbert to seek his wordless opinion in all matters. She found that they were mostly _always_ thinking the same thing. When Paul mispronounced a word in one of their reading aloud classes, Anne had looked to Gilbert to see if he had caught the mistake as well… and he had looked to her at the same time and just by the slightest smile, Anne could tell that he had. In one of their private studies, Miss Stacey had been rushing through a very complicated mathematics equation, and one look to Gilbert prompted him to ask her to go back a few steps and re-explain when Anne was too afraid ask for help. She had sent him a silent look of _thank-you_ and he had sent a silent look back of your _welcome_.

He understood her and she understood him, _always_, without ever having to say a single word to each other. She was grateful for it. It felt like a secret between them, nothing she shared with anyone else, not even Diana.

But the ability to read Gilbert, to see and understand what he was thinking and feeling at any given moment, had its troubles. Anne saw everything, and she felt it all as if it was her own. Worse had been when Mary had finally passed. Anne saw every flicker of pain and every moment of grief on his face. Seeing him that way – it was too much to bear.

Their connection also meant that she saw everything Gilbert disapproved of – which recently had become Charlie Sloane. Every time Charlie would interact with Anne, even in the smallest of ways, Anne would always find Gilbert’s eye and see his distaste. It had begun to annoy her because she couldn’t quite understand why. What was so bad that made Gilbert so disapproving?

It had been most inconvenient when Charlie’s first note had appeared. She’d been with Gilbert, talking of their family – Mary, Delphine and Bash – looking at each other in the way that they did, sharing their grief wordlessly, when Diana had run in announcing that Charlie had posted for Anne. One quick check of Gilbert’s face told Anne everything he was thinking – he turned away, raised his eyebrows, lips pursed with objection. Anne had taken Diana’s hand and pulled them away from Gilbert so she didn’t have to see his face anymore and feel more embarrassed than she already was.

But, now that they found themselves, stood across from each other locked into a dance formation, Anne could not avoid Gilbert’s clear feelings about Anne’s hand in Charlie’s. Her cheeks grew hot, she wished she could be stood next to anyone else – _god, even Billy would be better_, she thought_, if it meant Gilbert wouldn’t look at her like this_.

Anne raised her chin high and didn’t break eye contact with him, trying to tell him she didn’t care what he thought. He understood and smiled back, almost teasing her.

Then Mrs Lynde began to clap and Anne found herself tugged around in a circle, dancing. It took a moment for her to find the rhythm but eventually her feet caught up with her head and soon she was making the right steps to the beat of the clapping. Quickly, she began to enjoy herself, even start to have fun. With the music and the laughter from the others around her, she soon felt like a character out of one of her novels.

It helped that Gilbert seemed to be enjoying himself too. Smiling just as she was, still with that playful look in his eyes. As the circle broke and the partner dancing began, Anne found her eyes stuck on Gilbert. She lost sight of him briefly as she danced around Charlie but soon their eyes were reunited.

Gilbert wasn’t particularly graceful in the way he moved, or in the way that he spun Jane around, but Anne began to wish they were be dancing together instead. They seemed to do so much as a pair these days that it felt almost unfair that they’d been put in different sets for this. Anne knew she would be having much more fun if they were together, it wouldn’t feel as clumsy as dancing with Charlie or Mrs Lynde’s very-smiley son.

The dance lines bounced together and then away again. Anne, facing Gilbert straight-on again, caught a mischievous look in his eyes and saw his eyes dart down to Anne’s hand in Charlie’s. Immediately, Anne knew precisely what he was thinking and gave him a very tiny nod of consent. _Yes_, she said, _yes I would like to dance with you_.

And with that, Gilbert reached across and took Anne’s hand in his and twirled her over to his side of the line. To anyone else, a simple mistake, but to them a very deliberate choice. They shared a look at their joined hands and to each other.

The circle began to move around again but Anne barely noticed, with Gilbert’s hand guiding her, his arm bent pulling her closer into him, she didn’t have to think about the steps.

Anne knew what came next, a very brief moment of partner work. Everything else around her slipped away as Gilbert took her hands and spun her around. She felt herself gliding through the air, held gently in his arms up until the moment she floated away and around Charlie. She turned back to Gilbert and his expression had changed, still playful and teasing but with a powerful seriousness.

Something changed within her. She felt something overwhelming, nothing she’d felt before – flutters deep down in her stomach and goosebumps rising all over her body.

She felt like she was floating as he skated across the floor around him again. Their eyes never left one another. He outstretched his hand for her to take again, and she took it willingly as their dance lines bounced backwards and forwards again. His hand felt warm and strong in hers, but as she ducked under and over to the other side, she felt it slip away.

Back facing him again, she stared openly into his face – it was full warmth and fondness, she wondered if her own face was saying the same thing.

Moody gave one last strum on his banjo and the dance was over. The room filled with clapping and laughing. They all bowed to each other and broke apart – all except Anne and Gilbert who remained rooted to where they stood.

Anne searched his face, trying to read him but she couldn’t anymore. He was completely unreadable. There was an emotion on his face, but she’d never seen it before and didn’t know what it meant.

She stared and stared, dizzy from the dancing and sick with a feeling in the pit of her stomach that was so powerful, something _she’d_ never _felt_ before.

As she was looking at him… really looking at him… she noticed something. It was unmistakable. Gilbert’s eyes were hazel. Not black or white, or any shade in-between but hazel.

_Huh_, she thought. The more she looked, the more the colour grew_._ And then…

_Oh_, she thought, _oh no_.

Immediately, she bolted towards the cloakroom, back into her black and white world and away from any spec of colour that may or may not be in Gilbert Blythe’s eyes.

She pulled on her coat and scarf, trying desperately to calm down, to breathe normally again. She looked around her – still black and white, no colour. Across the cloakroom, she could sense that Gilbert was looking at her. She grabbed her hat and slid past Gilbert, avoiding looking at him.

She stepped out into the air and down the path home at the fastest speed she could manage.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gilbert begins to see colour in Anne's braids:
> 
> "He couldn’t believe it. Everything else remained wholly black and white but her hair.
> 
> Everything inside of him was exploding out of such excitement; his skin burned from where she had touched him. He knew what this meant. Soulmate.
> 
> I’m so glad it’s her, was his first thought."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> won't stop, can't stop thinking about these two fools
> 
> come do group therapy with me @homerically on tumblr

She had imagined it. She must have. There was no way.

As she stomped her way home through the forest, she looked around everywhere for any hint of colour, but her world remained as black and white as it always had been.

She _must _have imagined it. She’d been out of breath, dizzy and rather caught up in some unfortunate feelings which must have resulted in the imaginary scenario that she saw something other than darkness in Gilbert Blythe’s eyes. Yes, that made more sense. More sense than Gilbert Blythe being her soulmate anyway.

But convincing herself of that didn’t change the way she felt… or had felt as he’d held her hand and spun her around. Dancing with him had been pretty powerful, even now she felt the butterflies twitching about deep in her stomach and the rest of her body trembling with adrenaline. She knew it was just dance practice in their schoolroom, but it had felt almost romantic, like something out of one of her books.

She groaned out loud. Maturity was exhausting.

*

Gilbert had not imagined it. It was as clear as day.

He knew how to read Anne – she wouldn’t like knowing it, but to him, she was an open book. He knew when she was upset, angry, frustrated, embarrassed from just the smallest little thing. It was endearing, really. He liked to respond to it. To make her laugh when she was upset, to give her space when she was angry, to help her in class when she needed it.

So, when she’d been so clearly wanting to dance with him as much as he wanted to dance with her, he’d obliged and messed up the formation just subtly enough to get her by his side.

Everything had just slipped away. It was just him and her in their own little world. Her braids had been swinging and bouncing around as she’d moved and Gilbert swore they were coming to life. With every turn and bob and spin, the colour of her hair grew and grew and grew. By the end of the dance, Gilbert had stood facing her staring at the braids and their redness. He didn’t know how he knew it was red he just… knew – it was as easy as that. He couldn’t believe he hadn’t woken up every day to see this braids, to marvel at how beautiful they were.

He couldn’t believe it. Everything else remained wholly black and white but her hair.

Everything inside of him was exploding out of such excitement; his skin burned from where she had touched him. He knew what this meant. _Soulmate_.

_I’m so glad it’s her_, was his first thought. A bubble of a laugh rose up, but he held it down. Across from him, she was looking at him with wide afraid eyes. _Could she see it too?_

He went to say something, but in an instant, she had looked away and bolted towards the cloakroom. Gilbert just watched her go, she was easy to follow now; her red braids were distinguishable as she darted between their black and white classmates.

He frowned. Anne threw her hat and coat on at such speed and was out the door before Gilbert had even moved.

He almost called out to her but by the time he’d grabbed his things and ran outside to follow she’d already made it half the way down the field path. At the speed she was walking at, he’d never catch up with her. _So maybe she hadn’t seen any colour, maybe she just wanted to get home? _He stood there puzzled for a moment before making his own way home.

As he walked, all he could think about was the vividness of her hair; the image of it was burned to his brain. He had had dreams that it was her – every moment he’d spent with her since the first moment they’d met it’s like he’d been waiting, waiting for his world to burst into colour. Recently he’d tried to stop doing it and resigned himself to the fact that it wasn’t going to be Anne. They had spent so much time together, had so many important moments together, that Gilbert had thought that if it was meant to happen, it would have happened already. Bash had started to see colour the moment he’d first laid eyes on Mary after all.

Now he felt foolish he’d put his attentions elsewhere, wondering if his soulmate could be someone else entirely. He’d only invited Winifred to tea to test the waters, to see if it could be her.

But it was Anne, it had always _been_ Anne.

Bash found him a couple of hours later, sat at the kitchen table twirling a carrot around in his hands.

“You look like you’ve never seen a carrot before Blythe.”

“I haven’t, not really.”

Bash frowned, “are you feeling okay?”

Gilbert held the carrot up, close to Bash’s face. Bash looked past it and at Gilbert with a mix of concern and amusement.

“Okay… Blythe now you’re really starting to act like a mook,” he said dryly.

He rolled his eyes and reached for Delphine in her bassinet, “uncle Gillys gone mad, Delly. Been reading too many books and not making us a delicious dinner.”

Gilbert scoffed. He reached for the knife across the table and began to chop. Bash settled next to him, bouncing Delphine on her knee.

“Bash if I… If I started to see something… something I haven’t seen before… does it mean… does it mean…?” Gilbert stuttered.

Bash stared up at him like he was talking gibberish, which he probably was. Gilbert sighed and held up the remains of the unchopped carrot.

“This carrot is orange… or red… a bit of both.”

Bash’s eyes grew wide, his eyebrows raised.

“I don’t know how I know that exactly… but it’s colour, isn’t it?” Gilbert asked,

Bash laughed, “it certainly is. Congratulations Blythe. Do you know–“

“Yes.”

“Mind telling me–“

Gilbert gave him a pointed look, “oh, I mind.”

He went back to chopping the carrots, thinking of her and how she’d bolted out of the schoolroom the moment the dance was over.

“Bash… is it possible that she… that she doesn’t know… that she hasn’t seen the colour yet.”

Bash frowned, “it’s unusual, not impossible but unusual. Why? She blow you off?”

Gilbert nodded, embarrassed.

“Whether _she_ hasn’t or had seen the colours yet, it’s a lot for some people to take in at first. Give it time.”

Delphine began to whine, Bash lifted her up and headed down the hall towards her room. He turned back for one moment.

“You can only see that colour?” Bash gestured towards the carrots.

“Yes, so far.”

Bash laughed and vanished up the stairs.

“What?” Gilbert shouted after him, “what’s so funny?”

//

Anne spent the whole of Saturday morning tearing around Green Gables; pulling books off shelves, rifling through the pantry and picking up every object to examine it. Marilla was beside herself when she saw the mess, and Anne then spent the rest of the day putting everything back in its place.

But it had convinced her that there was no colour and she had imagined the whole thing entirely.

“Well, that’s that, no colour, no soulmate.” She said to herself.

She felt… well she felt… disappointed. Because dancing with Gilbert had been wonderful… more than wonderful, it had filled her with a rush and a feeling of absolute bliss. Anne had been aware that something had been growing between them; every time she looked at him, it was like her whole body filled with butterflies. More and more, she had come to think of him as a kindred spirit. And seeing what she thought was colour in his eyes flicked a switch that now she couldn’t turn off. Now she couldn’t stop thinking about him, his hands, his eyes, his hair, his mouth…

She dreamt of him all night, tossing and turning with the anticipation of seeing him at church the next morning.

He was sat a few rows behind her, she had looked very briefly at him but felt so dizzy from just one glance that she decided that concentrating on the pastor’s sermon for the rest of the service would be the only thing that could stop her from exploding then and there.

When the finals prayers were said, she made her way out of the church and outside.

“Shall we get on home then?” Marilla asked.

“No,” Anne snapped back.

Marilla looked at her sharply, confused at her tone.

“I mean… I thought I might speak to the pastor.”

Marilla grew even more confused.

“There’s a… a… project for school that I must speak to him about. Important newspaper things to attend to. It’s a beautiful day, why don’t you and Matthew walk together and I’ll catch you up. No use waiting around for me, you know the pastor will talk and talk and talk… no, you go, I’ll see you at home.”

Marilla frowned, trying to work out what Anne was up to. Anne smiled innocently.

“Well, you won’t stay too long. I need your help at home.”

“Of course. I’ll be along soon.”

“Alright, then. We’ll see you back at Green Gables.”

Marilla and Matthew headed off down the path, and Anne made her way back to the church as if she was going to speak to the pastor. The truth was she just wanted to see Gilbert. Just to look into his eyes one more time, just to check if she saw anything.

She waited by the entrance, he hadn’t come out yet and she wanted to be casual about it. Maybe she would just say hello, or smile. Something that didn’t draw attention to herself but gave her enough time to investigate.

A few minutes went by… maybe he had gone already, slipped off home while she was talking to Marilla. Or maybe he was still inside.

She took a big step towards the door, and as she did, it flew open. Gilbert stepped out and Anne went barrelling into him. He grabbed her arms to catch her as she practically tripped over him.

“Anne!”

“I’m sorry… I...”

She looked up. Looking back down at her were a warm pair of hazel eyes. Not only that but his lips were ever-so-slightly pink, and his cheeks were flushed in a similar shade.

Anne was rendered speechless. _Soulmate_.

“Anne, are you okay?”

“Yes,” she said quietly.

He let go of her and she took a large step back, staring at him in wonder.

His skin was glowing, a rising tan colour, no longer black and white. Soon his whole face was full of colour, and his hair wasn’t black as she had always assumed but a dark inky shade of brown.

“Gilbert.”

“Hello, Anne.”

They stood together for a while. Anne was painfully aware that, while she had read hundreds of books of soulmates meeting, she didn’t know what to do or say next. She was in no doubt now, Gilbert Blythe was full of colour, and he was her soulmate.

But ever since the dance, Anne had lost her ability to know what he was thinking by the look on his face. She couldn’t read him anymore.

“Have you had a pleasant weekend?” He asked, his voice pained and awkward.

“Yes, thank you. And you.”

“Yes,” he replied, simply.

His expression remained neutral. It dawned on Anne that maybe she was the only one that was seeing colour. Perhaps he didn’t see anything at all, and this was just a huge mistake. The universe punishing her again. If he was seeing colour, she would be able to tell, shouldn’t she?

“I’ll see you at school.” He said, giving her one last polite smile and turning away towards the path home.

Anne watched him go. Each step he took away from her, Anne’s world grew in colour until she could see the flowers and trees in all their glory. Maybe Gilbert Blythe was her soulmate, but maybe he just didn’t know it yet.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm having a lot of fun staying slightly canon-compliant but playing in the soulmateness so please enjoy season three rewritten with a twist

Diana’s room was even more beautiful in full colour. She had so many trinkets and little luxuries, Anne thought it was a shame that her bosom friend was surrounded by all these beautiful shades of various blues, pinks, yellows and oranges, and yet she couldn’t see them. Perhaps when she went to Paris, Diana would find her soulmate, thought Anne, because there was certainly no one here suitable for her dear friend.

She lay on the bed. Of course she was going to tell Diana, but it was difficult to bring it up. _Oh Diana, our close childhood friend and schoolmate Gilbert Blythe is actually my soulmate, how peculiar is that_. No, that someone didn’t seem right.

Diana was riffling through her dresses, lifting each one to evaluate which one would look the most splendid on Anne.

“What was the word you used? On how you wanted to look tomorrow?” She asked.

“Dazzling.”

Diana frowned, eyes going back to the dresses, “they would both look lovely on you, it’s hard to choose.”

“As long as it’s not pink.”

Diana’s eyes swivelled to Anne.

“Red-headed people can’t wear pink, it’s not flattering. It doesn’t suit me.”

Since seeing colour, Anne had spent a lot of time holding cloths against her body to see what exactly did suit her. She hadn’t been surprised she had red hair, people had told her she did, but she didn’t realise just how bold and distinct it would be. Barely any of Anne’s things seemed to suit her anymore.

Diana had an odd look in her eye, she folded up the dresses and perched next to Anne on the edge of the bed.

“Anne, I’m going to ask you a question. Don’t be vexed and do answer earnestly. Are you… are you seeing colours?”

Anne gave Diana a slightly embarrassed smile. She didn’t want to brag or make anything of a spectacle of it, so she gave a little nod.

Diana’s face filled with joy, more than she was expecting. She threw her arms around her friend.

“Oh Anne, I’m so pleased for you! For how long?”

“A couple of days.”

“A couple of days?! But when, who, how? Anne, I can’t believe it. Is it a boy from Avonlea?” A mischievous glint appeared in her eye, “is it Charlie Sloane? I heard he walked you home—“

Anne stuck out her tongue in mock-disgust, “no, it’s not Charlie Sloane.”

Diana took her hand, “you don’t have to tell me. In fact, it was rude that I asked. If you wish to keep it private, I entirely understand.”

She got up and went over to the wardrobe and began to riffle through the dresses.

“It happened while dancing,” Anne whispered.

Diana peered over her shoulder but said nothing, not wanting to scare her friend off.

“Our hands touched, and I felt something happen and…”

Anne thought back on the day, on the expression on Gilbert’s face growing more serious and the way he had looked at her like he had never done so before.

“… and I think he felt it too. His eyes were--”

“Mrs Lynde’s son?!” Diana’s voice was full of shock and even an element of disgust.

Anne snapped out of her daydream and threw Diana a very dirty look. Diana sighed.

“But the only other person you danced with was Gilbert.”

Hearing his name aloud sent Anne’s cheeks bright red. Diana didn’t need an answer, she could read it so obviously on Anne’s face. Her eyes widened, and her mouth dropped open.

“Gilbert Blythe!?!” She screeched incredulously.

“Keep your voice down.”

“Gilbert Blythe is your soulmate!?!!”

Anne rushed over to her and held a hand against Diana’s mouth. Diana was rambling inaudibly underneath.

“Diana, please! Calm down. Quiet, please. I don’t... no one can know yet.”

Diana went silent and nodded. Anne dropped her hand and rolled her eyes as it revealed Diana’s incredibly wide and smug smile.

“I can’t believe it. After all this time… it’s him.” Anne slumped onto the bed.

“What did he say?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, surely you talked to him.”

Anne gave a loud dramatic sigh.

“Anne…”

“I hasn’t yet come up… and I ran away after.”

Diana laughed.

“I can’t believe you. You finally find your soulmate and you, Anne Shirley-Cuthbert, true lover of romance, runs away…”

Anne pouted, “there were a lot of… feelings. I did think to talk to him at church but… well, it was strange; he seemed entirely normal.”

Diana frowned.

“Diana, it is possible he hasn’t seen the colours, isn’t it?”

“I don’t know… I’d read somewhere that there’s such a thing as one-sided soulmates, but it’s so rare it wouldn’t happen here, surely?”

Anne’s stomach dropped. _One-sided soulmates_. The possibility hadn’t crossed her mind. She’d never met anyone with that affliction. And, while she had read about it, she never thought it would happen to her.

Diana saw how crestfallen she was. She took Anne’s hand.

“Anne, I’m sure that’s not what’s happening here. Tomorrow at the fair you’ll see him, and you’ll have to ask him, that is if he doesn’t bring it up first, which I’m sure he will. It must be awfully hard not to tell people you’ve started seeing colours.”

Diana’s face grew sad. Anne saw and gave her friend’s hand a squeeze.

“Dearest Diana, you’ll see them soon, don’t worry.”

Diana got up, not acknowledging Anne’s sentiments.

“Let’s find you a dress. Gilbert won’t be able to look away if he sees you in something elegant and dainty.”

Anne sighed. She looked towards the wardrobe and spotted a very delicate pale blue dress that might suit her nicely hanging up.

“The pale blue one I think wouldn’t be too much of a clash with my red hair. Can I try that one?”

Diana went to the wardrobe and picked out the exact pale blue dress of which Anne was talking and smiled.

“Yes, I think this would suit you very nicely,” she said.

Across Avonlea, Gilbert Blythe was facing very similar problems. He had tried on every single shirt he owned, and none of them, he felt, were good enough.

He wanted to know for sure if Anne was seeing colour like he was before he spoke to her about it. He thought perhaps if he wore something colourful he’d be able to tell if she saw it or not.

When he saw her at church the previous weekend, he considered just straight-up asking her then, but in the end, he’d bottled it. Gilbert was so afraid he’d scare her off and that maybe she wasn’t seeing any colours after all. She had seemed as flighty as ever and even more uninterested in him.

The fair would be a good opportunity, he decided. He’d ridden past it early in the day, and it was spectacularly eye-catching and colourful – it would be evident if Anne could see it as he knew she would never be able to hide the wonder on her face.

There was the minor complication of Winifred Rose and her parents though. Gilbert had invited them weeks ago and would never go back on his promise to them, but he felt awful about it. Truthfully, he had invited Winnie on the pretence that it might lead to his world exploding into colour, but now he knew it was never going to be her… it was always going to be Anne. A promise was a promise though, and he would be a dutiful friend and escort them to the fair. He would find time with Anne, and everything would work out as it was supposed to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope y'all enjoyed. I'm writing another fic simultaneously so check on 'rules are made to be broken' – 5 rules of courting and the 5 times that Anne Shirley-Cuthbert breaks them.
> 
> I'm also forever crying over my shirbert spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6IBQ4kgdjsyrRDcT7DoVyj?si=DPfOCnBcRoWhxZYJxC6eqQ
> 
> In this house we stan Winnie, big respects for my girl


End file.
